Minnesota

Minnesota Reports Slight Dip in Daily New Cases of Virus

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota reported 5,296 new cases of the coronavirus and 21 deaths on Monday. Both numbers were down from the state’s seven-day averages, but Mondays are typically a lighter day for virus numbers due to a dropoff in testing over the weekends. Minnesota has averaged about 5,400 new daily cases and 58 deaths per day over the past…

Minnesota Hunter’s Bull Elk Deemed Second-Largest Ever Shot in State

(courtesy: Lacey Lupien via Fox News) (Fox News) – A Minnesota hunter has broken a state record after shooting a giant bull elk, as it has since been declared the second-largest ever harvested in the North Star State. The Boone and Crockett Club has formally recognized Lacey Lupien’s massive bull elk, shot near her Lancaster home over the summer, as the second-largest Minnesota elk…

Former Minnesota Governor Weds Campaign Staffer 41 Years His Junior

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced that he’s married one of his gubernatorial campaign staffers. Posting on Facebook Sunday, the 73-year-old Dayton said he has wed 32-year-old Ana Orke, who worked on his campaign in 2010. Acknowledging the age gap of more than four decades, Dayton said the two “realized that the love binding” them “is far…

The Dylan Catalog, a 60-Year Rock ‘N’ Roll Odyssey, Is Sold

NEW YORK (AP) –Bob Dylan’s entire catalog of songs, which reaches back 60 years and is among the most prized next to that of the Beatles, is being acquired by Universal Music Publishing Group. The deal covers 600 song copyrights including “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” “Tangled Up In Blue.” The…

Updated COVID-19 Numbers: Monday, December 7

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota health officials reported 5,296 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Monday morning bringing the total confirmed COVID cases to 356,152 in the state. Health officials also reported 21 news deaths bringing the death total to 4,005 in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, 4,623,492 tests have been completed to date. There are…

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank Seeks Donations Amid Rising Demand

The Need for Assistance From Second Harvest Has Increased More Than 10 Percent Throughout 2020

DULUTH, Minn. – COVID-19 continues to cause huge financial strains on many Northland residents and families due to several reasons. Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank is standing by and ready to help anyone in need of food assistance due to difficult circumstances. Right now, gifts are being matched up to $50,000 thanks to the generosity of the Joan M….

‘Little C Tree’ Christmas Trees Spreading Holiday Cheer, Help to Lincoln Park Restaurant Employees

50% of the businesses's profits will go to help employees at restaurants in the neighborhood who may have lost their jobs during the pandemic.

DULUTH, Minn.- A new business harvesting and selling Christmas trees in Duluth is doing their part to give back to the community during the holidays. Little C Tree has been selling small sustainable Christmas trees at Dovetail Cafe and Marketplace in the Lincoln Park Craft District. Each tree is hand-cut from the tops of spruce trees throughout the state, with…

Mother IDs Man Killed by Deputies in Northeastern Minnesota

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn.- The 19-year-old man shot by deputies Saturday after fleeing the scene of a shoplifting call in Mountain Iron has been identified by his mother. Estavon Elioff was identified by his mother Jacqueline, the Star Tribune reported. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that deputies first discovered the man outside a business about…

Deputies Fatally Shoot 19-Year-Old Man in Mt. Iron

Deputies learned that the man matched the description of a suspect in a drive-by shooting incident that happened on December 4 in Virginia.

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn.- An investigation is underway after a suspect search resulted in a fatal officer-involved shooting Saturday in Mountain Iron, and according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the man killed matched the description of a suspect in a drive-by shooting in Virginia Friday. According to a spokesperson with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to…

Duluthian Selected to Help Deck the White House Halls for the Holidays

Kynze Lundeen was one of 125 volunteers from across the country selected to help decorate.

DULUTH, Minn.- Many Northlanders are probably busy decking the halls, getting last minute decorations on the tree and stringing lights outside. But can you imagine getting picked to help decorate the White House for the Holidays? One Duluthian did. Kynze Lundeen applied for the opportunity a few months ago while waiting at an airport in Texas. Weeks after applying, she…

Virginia Police Department Using New Type Of Restraint Device

BolaWrap is used to help safely diffuse situations without the need for extra use of force.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – The Virginia Police Department is now using a new type of restraint device called BolaWrap. The device is used to help safely diffuse situations without the need for extra use of force. The Virginia Police Department was able to successfully use the device during a recent encounter with a non-compliant person suffering from a mental health crisis….

Proctor Holds ‘Mayor For A Day’ Essay Contest For Students

PROCTOR, Minn. – Ever wondered what it would be like if kids ran local city governments? The City of Proctor is giving fourth through sixth graders a chance to compete in an essay contest to be mayor for a day. The idea is inspired by a similar contest held annually by the League of Minnesota Cities. Proctor students can write…

Holiday Shopping In Stores Can Be Risky As Pandemic Continues

Your risk of catching the virus depends on the situation, but medical professionals want to remind everyone to be aware that COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly throughout the Northland.

DULUTH, Minn. – There might be the one gift you can’t find online, or maybe going to a store to purchase a gift is more convenient, but health experts are cautioning people to be aware of the COVID-19 risks when you are out among crowds. Any time a person goes shopping in public settings, there is a chance you will…

Top Legislative Leaders Express Optimism for Virus Aid Plan

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top four leaders in the Minnesota Legislature have expressed optimism that lawmakers can agree on a new coronavirus relief package in time for a Dec. 14 special session. But negotiations on what should go into the aid package are continuing. There appears to be general agreement helping businesses hit by the four-week partial closure ordered by…

Duluth Police Report 38th Shooting This Year

DULUTH, Minn. – On Friday, the Duluth Police Department reported the 38th shooting incident of the year. Authorities say officers responded to the area of the 700 block of North 1st Avenue West around 9:45 a.m. Friday on reports of damage to a home. When officers arrived at the scene they found holes in the house which appeared to be…

Minnesota Regulators Deny Request to Delay Line 3 Pipeline

(Garret Ellison | MLive) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota regulatory panel has denied a request by two northern Minnesota tribes to prevent Enbridge Energy from moving forward with its contentious Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement. The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Chippewa asked the Public Utilities Commission to stay its order allowing construction, citing pending litigation in…

Updated COVID-19 Numbers: Friday, December 4

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota health officials reported 5,371 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Friday morning bringing the total confirmed COVID cases to 338,973 in the state. Health officials also reported 61 news deaths bringing the death total to 3,845 in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, 4,439,728 tests have been completed to date. There are…

Local Colleges Keeping Nursing Pipeline Going During Pandemic

DULUTH, Minn. – The pandemic is creating a strong need for more healthcare workers. Northland colleges and universities are keeping the pipeline going to help address the urgency to fill open healthcare jobs. Both Lake Superior College and the College of St. Scholastica have students ready to graduate this month. This may be perfect timing as many healthcare settings in…

Traffic Fatalities in 2020 Are Going Up At Alarming Rate

It is estimated another 30 to 40 Minnesotans could die from vehicle accidents before New Year's Day.

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota has reached a tragic milestone for traffic fatalities in the state. Currently, 364 Minnesotans have died from injuries due to vehicle crashes since the beginning of the year. This is alarming because there are still about three weeks left of the year. In 2019, the same number of deaths were reported through December 31st. At this…

Drive-Thru Event Gives Back to Range Community Members

The annual community connect event is usually held in October.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – The Miners Memorial Building in Virginia held a different type of opportunity for community members to give back on Thursday.  The annual community connect event is usually held in October. Now, because of Covid-19 the event has changed to a drive-thru experience while still providing community members on the range in need of winter wear like hats,…

Deadline Looms for Minnesotans to Seek COVID-19 Housing Aid

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota residents who have fallen behind on their rent, mortgage, or utility payments amid the coronavirus pandemic should apply for state aid before a looming deadline of Monday night, Gov. Tim Walz and other officials urged Thursday. The COVID-19 Housing Assistance Program has already taken more than 28,000 applications for more than $67 million in aid. About…

Minnesota Sex Offender Program Reports One COVID-19 Related Death, 18 Active Cases

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – The Minnesota Sex Offender Program in Moose Lake announced on Thursday that a client at the facility died on Tuesday due to COVID-19. Minnesota Department of Human Services officials say the family of the deceased has been notified and this is the first COVID-19 related death among clients or staff MOSP facilities. “Losing a loved one…

Minnesota Reports 92 New COVID-19 Deaths as New Cases Grow

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota health officials reported 92 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the second-highest one-day toll since the pandemic reached the state. The deaths raised the state’s cumulative toll to 3,784 on a day when the U.S. recorded over 3,100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, obliterating the one-day national record set last spring. Minnesota’s highest one-day total is 101…

Overdose Deaths Increase 31% in First Half of 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State health officials say drug overdose deaths in Minnesota increased 31% in the first half of 2020, compared to the same time in 2019. The Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday there were 490 overdose deaths from January to June 2020 and 373 deaths during the same period last year. The number of deaths took…

Updated COVID-19 Numbers: Thursday, December 3

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota health officials reported 6,166 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Thursday morning bringing the total confirmed COVID cases to 333,626 in the state. Health officials also reported 92 news deaths bringing the death total to 3,784 in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, 4,379,610 tests have been completed to date. There are…

Authorities: Small Plane Crash-Lands on Minnesota Interstate

(Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A small plane has crash-landed and hit a vehicle on a Minnesota interstate, with no injuries reported, authorities say. The single-engine Bellanca Viking plane was temporarily closing part of the highway Wednesday night in the Minneapolis-area city of Arden Hills, officials said. Two people were on board, KMSP-TV reported. The pilot has…

Drive-By Shooting in Central Hillside Has Neighbors On Edge; It’s Duluth’s 37th Shooting This Year

Shooting data provided by the Duluth Police Department includes all criminally discharged gunfire where evidence is obtained.

DULUTH, Minn. – Neighbors are speaking out after and early morning drive-by shooting Wednesday in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood.  This is the city’s record-breaking 37th shooting so far this year compared to 23 last year, according to Duluth Police Department data.  And the neighbors, who are parents, say they can’t believe it’s happening in their own backyard and they hope…

Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Kitchen Finds A Permanent Home

Doc Witherspoon's Soul Kitchen is currently open for curbside Thursday through Saturday from 4-6 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. – Doc Witherspoon’s Soul Kitchen has finally found its permanent home. The restaurant is now taking over Mitch’s Bar and Grill in Lincoln Park. The new space includes both a dining and bar area. Customers can expect to enjoy some of the most popular dishes like fried chicken, cornbread, and much more. The Witherspoon family has been raising…

Wind Cargo Import Creates Record For Duluth-Superior Port

The wind cargo brought into the region this year topped the previous record by more than 200,000 tons.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth-Superior port has had a record-breaking shipping season when it comes to wind energy cargo. This year, in the midst of the pandemic, imports for that type of cargo nearly doubled the previous record set in 2019. Like many other industries, shipping has been hit hard by the pandemic. This record-setting achievement is highlighting the strong…

More Than 230,000 Minnesotans Have Downloaded COVIDaware App

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – More than 230,000 Minnesotans have downloaded COVIDaware, the COVID-19 exposure app, which launched just over a week ago, according to Governor Tim Walz. Two days after the app launched, it became the third most popular utility app in the iPhone App Store, according to a press release from the governor’s office. State officials expect more downloads of…

Fairview Range CEO Stepping Down

(courtesy: Fairview Range) HIBBING, Minn. – Fairview Range President and CEO Patrick Sharp announced on Wednesday that he will be stepping down from his role effective January 4. Sharp says he will be leaving the organization for an opportunity in Colorado. Sharp has served as CEO at Fairview Range since 2018 and worked at the organization in other roles since…

St. Luke’s CEO, President Steps Down

Nokels Has Been With the Hospital Since Last August

DULUTH, Minn. – Kevin Nokels has stepped down as St. Luke’s Hospital’s president and CEO. St. Luke’s Board of Directors named Nokels as their new chief executive officer last June and he officially began his role with the health care system last August. Prior to taking the president and CEO role at St. Luke’s Nokels served as President of CHI…

Updated COVID-19 Numbers: Wednesday, December 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota health officials reported 5,192 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Wednesday morning bringing the total confirmed COVID cases to 327,477 in the state. Health officials also reported 77 news deaths bringing the death total to 3,692 in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, 4,326,347 tests have been completed to date. There are…

Special Report: Inside Duluth’s 2020 Surge In Gun Violence

One-one-ones with police Chief Mike Tusken, the head of Duluth's Major Crimes Bureau, the medical director at St. Luke's ER and Mayor Emily Larson

DULUTH, Minn. –  We’re in the final month of a pandemic-ridden 2020 that’s created a lot of pain, unknowns and problems of all types for so many in the Northland. For the Duluth Police Department, the challenge has not only been navigating the virus but facing a record number of shootings — 36 of them this year alone — something…

Local Christmas Tree Farms See Boost in Sales As Big Box Retailers See Shortage

Retail Christmas tree sellers are experiencing a shortage, though that's not a problem for small, local farmers who have their own natural inventory, they said.

DULUTH, Minn.- As the holidays draw closer, owners of Christmas Tree Farms in the Northland are seeing a boost in business this year, as a shortage at bigger box retailers is drawing people to shop local farms for their trees and wreaths. “I probably have a million trees and about half of my farm is, I would say 100-120 acres…

Floerke Leaves Bench To Become President Of The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

The judge is expected to start his new role on January 11th.

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth judge is leaving the bench to take on a new role as the President of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. The organization’s board of trustees announced Tuesday Six District Court Judge Shaun Floerke will take on the role. Floerke replaces former President Holly Sampson, who retired back in June after holding the position for…

Lake Superior Zoo Animals Are Missing Visitor Interactions

"You guys as visitors are the main sources of entertainment for the animals at the zoo," said Lizzy Larson, the head carnivore zookeeper.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Zoo is one of the many tourist attractions in the state now shut down as part of new safety guidelines from Governor Tim Walz. The closure is taking away all the attention the animals would normally be getting from zoo visitors. “You guys as visitors are the main sources of entertainment for the animals…

Enbridge Starts Construction on Line 3 in Minnesota

(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Enbridge Energy began construction on its Line 3 crude oil pipeline replacement in Minnesota on Tuesday, a day after state regulators approved the final permit for the $2.6 billion projects amid legal challenges from local activists and Indigenous groups. Spokeswoman Juli Kellner said Enbridge began construction in several locations around the state in…

Longtime Duluth Judge Named President,CEO of Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

DULUTH, Minn. – On Tuesday, the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation Board of Trustees announced a long time Duluth judge Shaun Floerke as their next president and CEO. Floerke, 55, takes over after Holly Sampson retired after 30 years from the organization in June. David Montgomery has been acting as interim CEO since July while the organization searched for a…

Updated COVID-19 Numbers: Tuesday, December 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota health officials reported 3,570 new cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota Tuesday morning bringing the total confirmed COVID cases to 322,312 in the state. Health officials also reported 22 news deaths bringing the death total to 3,615 in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, 4,284,823 tests have been completed to date. There are…

Deficit Gone: Minnesota Projects $641m Budget Surplus Through June

(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski) ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – So much for a giant deficit. Minnesota budget officials said Tuesday they expect a $641 million surplus between now and June, reversing their earlier prediction of a $2.4 billion shortfall from the May report. A $1.3 billion shortfall is likely for the two-year period that starts July 1, budget officials said. But that number is…

Update: Authorities Identify Man, Woman Found Dead in Grand Lake Township

SAGINAW, Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office has identified the two people found dead in their home in Grand Lake Township Monday morning. The deceased individuals have been identified as 55-year-old Robert Kerr and 62-year-old Loretta Billman. Kerr and Billman lived together and were found dead in their home on Elisson Road in Saginaw by relatives and coworkers…

Hunter Fatally Shot in Northern Minnesota

PUPOSKY, Minn. (AP) — A hunter has fatally shot another hunter in northern Minnesota after mistaking him for a deer, according to authorities. The two men were not hunting together and the victim was not wearing blaze orange, according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said Monday the shooting happened Wednesday near Puposky at dusk. The victim is identified…

Duluth Police Officer Charged In Shooting; Victim’s Atty. Wants Attempted Murder Charge

"It's obviously a grave charge that I’m referencing, but that's the fact here, that's what happened,” according to Andrew Poole, attorney for victim Jared Fyle, 23.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Attorney Andrew Poole spoke out Monday about felony charges filed against Duluth Police Officer Tyler Leibfried, 28, who shot his unarmed client, Jared Fyle, 23, through his apartment door during a domestic assault call on Sept. 12. “The facts are this is a case where Mr. Fyle was in his own home behind a closed locked…

Online Traffic Helps Ivy Moon Clothing Store through Black Friday, Cyber Monday

Staff said they have seen more online traffic over Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

DULUTH, Minn.- A clothing business in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood is seeing more online business going into its only second holiday season open. Staff at women’s clothing boutique Ivy Moon over on Superior Street said they have seen more online traffic over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While their entire inventory isn’t online just yet, the popularity of the items they…